Brentford may have beaten us 2-0 on the opening day of the season but Arsenal have already wrestled back control of the bragging rights with a thumping 4-0 win over the Bees in a behind-closed-doors friendly at London Colney.
Sure we may have conceded five goals at Manchester City on Saturday but when you take into account the six we banged in at West Brom, we’re running at a 10-5 aggregate score for the last 10 days; a clear sign that we’re on our way up.
Gabriel and Alex Lacazette put us ahead after the break before Cedric Soares, playing as a left wing-back, nabbed a late brace. In case any sporting directors from Turkey are reading, the Arsenal website says the Portuguese ‘stole the show’.
Mikel Arteta used the friendly to give minutes to players who’ve been sidelined in recent weeks. Ben White returned from his bout of Covid and Gabriel added 69 minutes to the half of football he played for the under-23s last week.
Aaron Ramsdale started in goal, Mo Elneny partnered Ainsley Maitland-Niles in midfield – good to see the latter is out of his own solitary confinement – while Gabriel Martinelli and Pepe also got run outs. Young prospects Charlie Patino and Omari Hutchinson also featured off the bench.
Arsenal don’t play in the league until 11 September so we wouldn’t be surprised if there’s another friendly scheduled for the weekend. Here’s hoping we can extend our unbeaten run…
Cedric’s simply catastrophic performance against Man City on Saturday was because he was saving himself for the epic behind closed doors friendly against Brentford.
Revenge is a must…
Arsenal are truly among Europe’s elites in no-pressure meaningless fixtures.
Maitland-Niles now actually being played as a centre midfielder..
Interesting
He’s been earmarked as a cm all season tbh.
looking at our benches he’s been on and we have people sayin 3 right backs and 1 midfielder?!!? When in reality AMN is a CM sub making it 2 of each.
Yeah, Mikel has literally hardly ever played him there, forced him to play right back, and also tried to sell him on multiple occasions.
Now he is going to start him in centre mid.
Makes total sense.
He’s better than Elneny so why not…
Based on what? Someone just noted he’s never been played CM for Arsenal. So he’s better than an established international?
Reporter – “If you had to beat Brentford in either a behind-closed-door mid-season friendly or in the league, which would it be?”
Arteta – “Friendly.”
Reporter – “Why?”
Arteta – “Cuz fuck them, that’s why.”
Arteta – “Cuz
fuck themtogetherness, that’s why.”So only 50% of people saw Good Will Hunting.
Interesting.
Great film. If you haven’t, check it.
So mean…yet I must admit; No truer words have ever been spoken!
he’s actually quite good going forward. this is why he has 34 caps for a very strong portugal.
Top half finish on the cards! COYG!
Once we get our best 11 playing on a consistent basis, build some team cohesion, I think we’ll get plenty of results
There’s 4 superior teams, 3 of which have far superior squads
But there’s very little difference in quality between a cluster of 4-5 teams, I think our “first” choice 11, is the 5th-6th best
And over the course of the season, things will balance themselves out
The start of the season has been disappointing, particularly the nature of the defeats, but some of the reactions have been completely OTT
Genuinely intrigued to know which of the 4 superior teams, doesn’t have the far superior squad?
I do know the 4 superior teams have 4 superior managers.
Guardiola inherited the most expensively assembled squad in history, and has spent north of a £1 billion since 2016 I’m sure he’s a very good coach, but he’s certainly worked in favourable conditions Klopp, I can’t stand him, but he’s the best manager of the lot, but even he lost 5 successive cup finals, and needed some time The original narrative was that he was defensively naive, Liverpool kept throwing away leads late in games, he then signed VVD, Alisson and Fabiano, and he turned them into the best team in the world for 18 months Solkjaer, is he really… Read more »
well said. and sacking him now would be just really silly. he’s the one that put this squad together, with the backing of the higher-ups. he has to be given time to see if he can get a tune out of it.
But how long do you give him, he’s been there nearly two years and we seem to be much worse than when he started and it’s with HIS players. I’d give him till Christmas and if there is no improvement he has to go. We are Arsenal not a pub team.
Exactly. We are going backwards alarmingly fast. The ‘give him time’ narrative only works if we are improving imo.
Fun fact: how many of the 11 who started in the Man Citeh nadir were Wenger’s signings?
TEN!!
MA already has had nearly two years. He can’t change…get rid of ‘im.
Let’s see…
Give the 4 managers the same team as Arteta. Do you think they will be placed better than last?
Doubt it.
Forgot a ?.
Doubt it?
And a very NB question mark it was.
Liverpool have a superior team, and a superior squad
But Liverpool’s depth is nowhere near that of City, Chelsea, or United
and their finances are not currently very healthy. their wage bill has gone through the roof and they have quite a few players approaching the crest of the hill. 5 years time they will be looking up at us.
They just seem to have been very lucky with injuries in recent times – look what happened when VVD got injured?
If they lose him again, or a Salah or Firminho, etc – it will create a sizeable hole in their structure.
We definitely have a top 6 team, it’s the management is where we fall short. I guarantee a Pep or a Klopp could have this team challenging for trophies, unfortunately we have someone cutting their teeth in this league. I would love for it to work for Arteta but he seems to make some glaring mistakes especially with team selection.
Arteta has spent roughly £230 million Odegaard £35mill, only played one game against the Champions, and best side in Europe Partey £45mill, he’s injured, not played this season Gabriel £25mill, injured, not played this season, not had a pre-season, will need time to get up to speed White £50mill, played 1 game, been out with COVID Tomiyasu, £20mill, he’ll arrive 2-3 days before Norwich after being away with Japan, he’ll need a bit of time Lokonga £15mill, he’s 21, early signs are promising, but we need to remember even the very best have taken some time to adjust Tavares £7mill,… Read more »
Well said. As I’ve stated, I’ve almost now given up defending Mik, however it does seem – with the signings – that a clearer plan is emerging, together with some support/direction from the top. What many will find difficult to swallow is that said ‘plan’ is NOT a quick-fix, by any stretch… I’ve changed my tune to the Norwich (or Spuds at latest) game as a watershed for the manager, however – with the signings we’ve made, the next interlull, as Blogs rightly argues, might well be a more realistic – and prudent – point to judge him. We’re bottom.… Read more »
But the best 11 never, ever plays regularly in this league. So what’s plan B?
Over a period of 2-3 years we’ve got to address the weaknesses in our squad, while keeping the core of young players together We’ve got some good players, and the balance of our squad is much better than it was last October, when we had 8 centre backs, but no fit or registered attacking midfielders It’s when we get down to Kolasinac, Mari, Elneny, Cedric, that we’ll struggle, Holding, Chambers are ok, but not ideal either Also need take into account that Saka 19, Smith Rowe 21, Odegaard 22, Sambi 21, Tomiyasu 22, Tavares 21, White 23 Is very young,… Read more »
Genuinely intrigued to know which of the 4 superior teams, doesn’t have the far superior squad?
My guess is he means Liverpool. They certainly have a great starting eleven, but their squad depth is nothing like the other three. (Ronaldo, Cavani, Rashford, Martial, Greenwood, Fernandes, Lingard, I’m sure I forgot someone.)
Was it Brentford u-12 team??
Stop being so negative…
Negativity? Ahaaa!! No one escapes The Spanish Inquisition! My Lord Cardinal, fix him to a comfy chair, with plenty of beer and snacks and make him watch last Saturday lunchtime’s game again…mwhahahaha…!
Who needs the Inquisition, we torture ourselves willingly!!
“And it’s live….!”
We should relocate the Emirates to the site of the old Tyburn… really hone in on that terrible fascination with pain and suffering, on show every other weekend.
U-16
This is positive, good that Gabi and Ben got a run out, hopefully they’re both ready for the Norwich game, onwards and upwards.
White should be for sure. Let’s see for Gabriel, but he seems to be on track for it too. Good news as we badly need them to start building next decade’s CB-partnership.
No news on partey playing?
He’s supposed to start training again this week, must have been a little early for him.
This is the real quiz.
Maitland-Niles in midfield is something I think Arteta is going to try – Partey + AMN has the potential to be a decent partnership
Sambi as RWB?
I think so too, or I could even see a 433 with Partey, Sambi, AMN as the midfield 3.
As long as there’s no X-factor, I’m happy.
It seems like we can only win without the fans.
Bee excited
Too paraphrase the Arsenal fans at Wembley for the FA Cup Semi in 1993…
”THREE WEEKS….WE ONLY WAITED 3 WEEKS!!”
Mikel arteta, master of winning the behind closed doors friendly. That’s 3 for 3!
And thats the real quiz
I think it’s fair to say we will now definitely win the league
Yeeeah! That’s what I’m talking about. Fucking hell I’m so pumped up now, we just won 4-0 in a friendly against Brentford ! All I can say is in your fucking face Brentford! Fucking losers.
Top of the league, we’re top of the behind-closed-doors friendly league!!
Afternoon all, Reading some of the comments, I see they don’t think much of the 4.0 result, yes we had a reserve team out recently injured player coming back and youngsters filling in the spaces. Laugh , joke, do as you will, but we have been rebuilding, new players in positions we needed filling. Our new keeper again with a clean sheet Gabriel back doing his stuff Matland Niles still with us and Cedric having good words spoke about him. Its import results like this as we play them again this season, much the same as City and Chelsea, no… Read more »
There’s a lot of real nastiness around at the moment from the media, pundits and fans alike. I can see exciting possibilities with these players and the only way forward is to support them. Being toxic never got anyone anywhere.
And never a truer word said mate.
A truly inspiring win against the brentford U-21s
This must be how Arteta convinced AMN during the clear the air meeting that we was part of the club’s future.
“Don’t worry Ainsley, you’re going to start in midfield against Brentford in Thursday’s friendly.”
Friendly games during international break is a good idea
Good to put some players and youngsters in the shop and loan windows
I’m not sure a behind closed doors match is the best way to put anyone in a shop or loan window…
Glad to see Patino and Hutchinson given some time in this friendly.
I saw another youth player in one of the match photos on the official page – it’s neither Patino nor Hutchinson. Any idea who?
Which photo were you looking at? Photo 3 of 23 is Hutchinson and photos 5 and 6 are of Patino. Looks like all the others are first team players
Not one first team player in bees 11
eh?
Any reports on how AMN performed in midfield? It would be nice if he succeeded as a CM.
Can we play all our matches behind closed doors, seems our players are shy